Flip seat arrangement having upper seat back pivot

ABSTRACT

A rear seat assembly of a passenger cabin of a pick-up truck includes a rear seat cushion and a rear seat back, each rotatable such that a bottom surface of the rotated rear seat back can rest upon a rear end of the rotated seat cushion to provide a storage space beneath the rotated seat back and between the rotated seat cushion and a rear wall of the passenger cabin. The cargo bed of the truck may be extended into the storage space by providing an access door thereto in a front wall of the cargo bed in communication with a corresponding opening in the rear wall of the passenger cabin.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/625,381, filed Jul. 23, 2003, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,837,531,which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/398,221filed Jul. 24, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to movable seat assembly arrangements ina passenger cab of an automotive vehicle. More specifically, theinvention pertains to a rotatable rear seat assembly of the passengercabin of a vehicle having an external cargo bed, such as a pick-uptruck.

Vehicles having external cargo beds yet expanded passenger cabins havebecome increasingly popular. For example, pick-up trucks with rearseating assemblies and access doors therefor are now commonplace. Suchexpanded passenger cabs are obtained at the expense, oftentimes, of ashorter length of the exterior cargo bed.

There is a need in the pick-up truck art for a rear seat assembly whichis convertible to provide additional storage space between a front seatassembly and a rear wall of the truck's passenger cabin. Additionally,there is a need for extending a portion of the volume of the truck'sexterior cargo bed into a rear area of the passenger cabin to enableobjects of lengths longer than the cargo bed to be carried withoutextending rearwardly outside of the cargo bed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first aspect of the invention, a flexible auxiliary storagearrangement for the passenger cabin of a vehicle having a cargo bedextending rearwardly from the passenger cabin includes a rear seatsystem positioned adjacent the rear wall of the passenger cabin and arear seat cushion having a first hinge assembly at a forward portion ofits bottom side and a rear seat back having a second hinge assemblyproximate its top edge. The first hinge assembly is operative to enablethe rear seat cushion to rotate forwardly to a substantially verticalposition with a rear end of the rear seat cushion facing a roof of thecabin. The second hinge assembly is operative to enable the rear seatback to rotate forwardly to a substantially horizontal position with arear surface of the rear seat back resting upon the rear end of the rearseat cushion.

In another aspect of the invention, a flexible auxiliary storagearrangement for a vehicle having a passenger cabin and a cargo bedextending rearwardly from a rear wall of the passenger cabin includes anopening in the rear wall of the passenger cabin and in communicationwith an opening in the front wall of the cargo bed, whereby a length ofthe cargo bed is extended into a rear portion of the passenger cabin.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The objects and features of the invention will become apparent from areading of a detailed description, taken in conjunction with thedrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a rear seat assembly of the invention in therest or seating position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the rear seat arrangement of FIG. 1 with therear seat cushion partially rotated forwardly;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a storage compartment located beneaththe rear seat cushion;

FIG. 4 shows the rear seat cushion rotated to a vertical position andattached to a netting assembly for use with a bed feature of theinvention;

FIG. 5 shows the rear seat back partially rotated forwardly from itsrest position;

FIG. 6 shows the rear seat back in a first intermediate positionallowing access to a bag assembly and to storage areas underneath therear seat cushion;

FIG. 7 is a view of the bag assembly partially moved forward from astowed or rest position;

FIG. 8 shows the bag assembly in a fully extended deployed position;

FIG. 9 shows the rear seat back in a second deployed positionsubstantially parallel to the floor of the passenger cabin;

FIG. 10 shows the seat back deployed and the box assembly deployed andthe seat back being used as a bed;

FIG. 11 shows the bag assembly in its closed or stowed position;

FIG. 12 shows a zipper opening in the bag assembly for access to a cargobed door actuator;

FIG. 13 shows a locating pin for the bag assembly in the front faceportion of the bag assembly which mates with a locking hole in a floorof the passenger cabin;

FIG. 14 shows a view of the rear seat back hinge assembly;

FIG. 15 shows the locating pin in an underside of the rear seat back anda receiving hole therefor in a rear end of the rear seat cushion;

FIG. 16 shows a view from the cargo bed of the vehicle featuring a bagaccess door in a front wall of the cargo bed;

FIG. 17 is a view of FIG. 16 with the access door in a partially loweredposition; and

FIG. 18 shows an access door on the cargo bed fully opened and the bagassembly deployed to hold an object larger in length than the length ofthe exterior cargo bed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to FIG. 1, a passenger cabin 102 of an extended cabinpick-up truck has its rear door opened to reveal the back side of afirst front seating assembly 106 and a rear seating assembly 108positioned in a rear seating area 104 of passenger cabin 102.

Rear seating assembly 108 includes a rear seat cushion 116 having afront end 116 c and a bottom side 116 b. A rear end 116 a of rear seatcushion 116 is forward of and abuts rear seat back 114. Additionally,rear seat assembly 108 includes a plurality of seatbelt buckles 100 andmating seatbelt tongues 112 positioned conventionally at ends of the twohalves of the seatbelt for a number of passengers, for example, three.

FIG. 2 shows rear seat cushion 116 partially rotated forwardly in thedirection of arrow 200 about a pivot axis 202 located beneath rear seatcushion 116 and extending adjacent a forward edge of a rear seat base204. With this movement, rear seat cushion 116 has its front end 116 centering downwardly into the space between the front seat assembly 106and the rear seat base 204 so as to face floor 206 of passenger cabin102.

In FIG. 3, rear seat cushion 116 has been rotated forwardly to avertical position exposing part of rear seat cushion hinge assembly athinge 304 a coupled between a bottom surface of rear seat cushion 116and rear seat base 204. Also exposed in this view is a storagecompartment 300 covered by a hinged access door 302 a located in therear seat base 204 beneath rear seat cushion 116 in its rest or seatingposition

FIG. 4 is another view of the rear seating compartment showing seatcushion 116 rotated fully forwardly to its vertical position about hingeelements 304 a and 304 b. In this position, access is enabled to hingedstorage access doors 302 a and 302 b for first and second storagecompartments located beneath rear seat cushion 116.

Additionally shown in FIG. 4 is a occupant containment net 400 fashionedof conventional seatbelt webbing material in a cross pattern as shown.Net 400 is anchored at its top to built-in receptacles 404 in apassenger cabin roof side rail. At its bottom, net 400 is furnished witha plurality of seatbelt buckle/tongue elements 402 which couple toseatbelt elements of the rear seating arrangement 108 which are anchoredat their distal ends to rear frame cross member 408 of rear seat cushion116. Hence, alternate units 402 will have either a seatbelt buckle or aseatbelt tongue attached to an end of the net with the opposite membersattached to an end of the seatbelt assembly portions of seat cushion116. Net 400 is used in conjunction with a bed arrangement of theinvention which will become apparent in a later section of thisdescription.

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 15, rear seat back 114 is shown in thebeginning stages of its forward rotation in the direction of arrow 502about a hinge assembly proximate a top end of seat back 114 (not shownin this view). Rear seat cushion 116 is rotated to its vertical positionwith its rear end 116 a facing a roof of passenger cabin 102. A rearsurface of rear seat back 114 carries at least one locating pin 500 formating engagement with a receptacle 502 (FIG. 15) located in rear end116 a of rear seat cushion 116.

In FIG. 6 rear seat back 114 has been rotated to a first intermediateposition allowing access to a bag assembly located behind rear seat back114, which will be discussed in detail below. Also shown in FIG. 6 is anaxis of rotation 202 which substantially extends between hinges 304 aand 304 b for rear seat cushion 116.

FIG. 7 is another view of rear seat back 114 in its first intermediateposition and showing a bag assembly 700 partially moved away from itsrest or stowage position in a mating opening 704 in a rear wall ofpassenger cabin 102. Bag assembly 700 includes a rigid end panel 702which covers the rear wall opening in the stowed position.

In FIG. 8, bag assembly 700 has been fully extended in its deployedposition. Bag assembly 700 includes, as mentioned above, a rigid frontwall 702 and side walls 702 a and 702 b fashioned from a flexiblematerial, such as cloth. Metal reinforcing rods 802 maintain the sidewalls in their vertical extension. Bag assembly 700 is open at a rearend thereof about the opening 704 of rear wall 800 of the passengercabin.

FIG. 9 shows rear seat back 114 in a second fully deployed positionwherein the seat back surface is substantially parallel to the passengercabin floor and ceiling with a rear surface 114 a of rear seat back 114facing the cabin floor. In this fully deployed state, rotated rear seatcushion 116 and rear seat back 114 define a substantially rectanguloidstorage volume beneath rotated rear seat back 114 and between rotatedrear seat cushion 116 and a rear wall of passenger cabin 102.

In FIG. 10, fully deployed rotated rear seat elements 116 and 114 areshown with bag assembly 700 fully deployed beneath rotated rear seatback 114. Additionally, as seen from FIG. 10, the substantiallyhorizontal rear seat back 114 in its rotated position may be used as abed surface. In this adaptation of seat back 114, the occupantcontainment net 400 of FIG. 4 would additionally be used to prevent anoccupant reclining on surface 114 from rolling forward into the frontseating area of the passenger cabin.

FIG. 11 shows the bag assembly in its closed or stowed position withrigid end panel 702 flush with interior rear wall of passenger cabin 102so as to cover opening 704 therein.

FIG. 12 is another view of a partially deployed bag assembly 700 showinga zippered opening 1200 in the bag assembly 700 for enabling access to acargo bed door actuator and closer 1202. Thus, the cargo bed door, to bedescribed below, is maneuverable from inside passenger cabin 102.Alternatively, zipper halves 1204 a and 1204 b could define the opening1202 in an upper surface of bag assembly 700. Additionally, alternativemeans of sealing the opening, such as with adhesive material couldreplace zipper halves 1204 a and 1204 b.

FIG. 13 shows fully deployed bag assembly 700 with at least one bagassembly locating pin 1300 extending from beneath rigid end panel 702for mating engagement with a locking hole 1302 formed in an upper facingsurface of rear seat base 204.

FIG. 14 shows rear seat back 114 in its fully rotated position to reveala double link hinge 1400 which defines rear seat back pivot axis 1402.

FIG. 16 is a view from the rear of pick-up truck 200 along cargo bed orpick-up box 1600 and showing a bag access door 1602 in a front wall ofthe cargo bed. A lower edge 1606 of door 1602 has hinges 1604 a,b and cfor enabling door 1602 to swing downwardly about its lower edge 1606 forreceipt by a recessed area 1608 in floor 1610 of the cargo bed orpick-up box 1600.

FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIG. 16 showing door 1602 in a partiallylowered position and revealing opening 1700 in a front wall of the cargobed pick-up box. Opening 1700 is in mating communication with opening704 in the rear wall of passenger cabin 102 and further in communicationwith the interior of deployed bag assembly 700.

FIG. 18 shows bag access door 1602 in a fully downward positionrevealing the entirety of opening 1700 and the interior of bag assembly700. In this state, the cargo bed 1600 is effectively partially extendedinto the interior of passenger cabin 102 via the interior of bagassembly 700. Hence, an object such as a piece of lumber or drywall 1800may be entirely contained within the bed even though its length islonger than the exterior length of the bed. For example, with thisarrangement, a four foot by eight foot piece of plywood may be heldentirely within a four foot by six foot pick-up box while two feetextends into bag assembly 700.

To summarize the aspects of the exemplary seating and cargo bedarrangement described above, and with reference to all the drawingFigures, a bottom edge of a rear seat back 114 extends behind a rearedge 116 a of rear seat cushion 116 to maximize the overall height ofthe seat back 114.

The rear seat cushion 116 is hinged toward the front edge 116 c, therebyallowing it to tumble forward to a vertical position. Positive stops areincorporated into hinges 304 a,b that prevent rear seat cushion 116 fromtraveling beyond the vertical position.

The rear seat back 114 is hinged at top outboard corners thereof withdouble-link hinges 1400. An upper cross member of the seat back frameties both hinges together to synchronize their movement. This allows bag114 to first be rotated upwards to a substantially horizontal positionand then lowered vertically until at least one pin 500, located on anunderside of seat back 114 at its front edge, lines up and drops into anadjacent receptacle 502 located on rear edge 116 a of the tumbled rearseat cushion 116. The seat back hinges 1400 and an anti-sway bracket,both attached to a rear structure of the passenger cabin, support a rearedge of the back cushion 114 to create an elevated horizontal surfacethat can be utilized as a bed.

Pass-through openings are added to both a front wall of the pick-up boxand a rear wall of the passenger cabin. A bag assembly 700 is used toextend the length of cargo box 1600 and consists of a hard (e.g.,plastic) end panel 702 with cloth sides 702 a,b, and metal reinforcingrods 802 on outboard sides of the bag assembly. The bag 700 seals off apass though opening 704 thus maintaining the interior environment of thepassenger cabin. When the cargo bed extension bag 700 is pulled forwardinto the passenger cabin 102, metal rods 802 support the cloth sides 702a and feet 1300 on a bottom edge of end panel 702 lock the deployed baginto place.

The mating pass-through opening in the front wall of the pick-up box hasa drop-down door 1602 to close off the opening when the pick-up boxextension is not being utilized. The zippered opening 1200 on a surfaceof the bag assembly provides access to a release latch 1202 on drop-downdoor 1602. A recessed depression 1608 in the floor 1610 of pick-up box1600 allows door 1602 to fall flush with floor 1608 so as not tointerfere with items being loaded into the pick-up box extension.

The invention has been described with reference to an exampledisclosure. The scope and spirit of the invention are to be derived fromthe properly interpreted claims appended hereto.

1. A flexible auxiliary storage arrangement for a vehicle having apassenger cabin and a cargo bed extending rearwardly from a rear wall ofthe passenger cabin, the arrangement comprising: an opening in the rearwall of the passenger cabin in communication with an opening in a frontwall of the cargo bed, whereby a length of the cargo bed is extendedinto a rear portion of the passenger cabin; a movable door in the cargobed closing off the opening in the front wall of the cargo bed, whereinthe movable door includes at least one hinge at a bottom edge thereof; arecessed depression in a floor of the cargo bed for mating receipt ofthe door when rotated down about the at least one hinge to expose theopening in the front wall of the cargo bed; and a bag assembly having arigid end panel sized for mating closure of the opening in the rear wallof the passenger cabin when the bag assembly is not in use and sidewalls fashioned from a flexible fabric defining with the end panel anextendable storage volume in communication with the cargo bed via theopening in the front wall of the cargo bed whenever the rigid end panelis moved into the passenger cabin.
 2. The arrangement of claim 1 furthercomprising a releasable latch positioned inside the bag assembly forselective opening and closing of the movable door; and an opening in awall of the bag assembly enabling access to the releasable latch frominside the passenger cabin.
 3. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein theopening includes a disengageable sealing element.
 4. The arrangement ofclaim 3 wherein the disengageable sealing element comprises a zipper.